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Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Celebrate the Chamorro culture in San Diego

SAN DIEGO, California - The 6th annual Chamorro Cultural Festival is coming to California State University, San Marcos campus on Saturday, March 28, 2015, to offer Southern Californians the opportunity to experience the unique 4,000 year old Chamorro culture.

This family friendly event will offer cultural performances, entertainment, arts and crafts, and a taste of the Mariana Islands. Chamorro cuisine, one of the most popular elements of the festival, will have a strong presence with many food vendors offering favorites such as red rice, chicken kelaguen, and other signature Chamorro dishes. Guests will be able to enjoy an assortment of beverages as well, including refreshing brews at the festival beer garden. Miss Universe Guam, Brittany Bell, will also be in attendance to welcome visitors.

In addition to traditional song and dance performances, island crafts will also be on display in many booths. Visitors can participate in weaving demonstrations and take pictures of a flying proa, a seafaring vessel that was used by native Chamorros for thousands of years. Other focal points of the festival will be an art exhibition and workshops to give visitors insight to learn more about Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). In fact, San Diego has one of the largest populations of Chamorros that live outside of the Marianas, which makes it the perfect backdrop for celebrating this annual event.

As a major sponsor of the festival, the Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) will have a booth where attendees can obtain complimentary information about visiting the USA’s most western frontier in the Pacific. Additionally, a Guam Product Seminar will be held, with expert speakers flying in from Guam to speak at the festival, including GVB Culture and Heritage Committee Chairwoman Theresa Arriola, GVB Marketing Manager Pilar, and Mystical Tours and Adventures Co-owners Katie Black and Bobbie Taitano.

The Chamorro Festival is free to enter for all ages and will take place from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 28 in the Chavez, Forum and Kellogg Plazas of the CSU San Marcos Campus, located at 333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos, CA 92006. Parking is free.
This event is organized by the CHE’LU organization, in partnership with the Guam Visitors Bureau.

About the Chamorro Culture

The Chamorro culture is rich in history, dating back over 4,000 years ago. The Chamorro people are well known for their innovation, warm hospitality, and practicing respect and other traditional family-centered values. The foundation to all Chamorro values is dependent upon the spirit of cooperation or Inafa’maolek, which means “to make good.”

The Chamorro people are native to the Mariana Islands, which consist of the United States territory of Guam and the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), including Rota, Tinian and Saipan. Today, a substantial number of Chamorros live in Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, Texas, and Nevada.

About CHE’LU

The Chamorro Hands in Education Links Unity, also known as CHE’LU, is a nonprofit organization based in San Diego dedicated to educating the community about the native language and culture of the Chamorro people. For more information, please visit chelusd.org.

About Guam Visitors Bureau

As Guam's tourism agency, the Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) uses its research, industry, and marketing expertise to develop and implement the island's strategic tourism marketing plan. GVB is responsible for supporting programs to promote and develop Guam as a safe and satisfying destination for visitors and to derive maximum benefits for the people of Guam. For more information, log on to www.visitguam.com